Just Ascian a Question

[Gegenji]

I had an interesting thought recently, and proceeded to comb the forums to see if it has been asked. It hasn't, so I figured I'd ask here:

 

We have people trying to play as native Eorzeans, Garleans, Domans, the few folks crossed over from elsewhere like Lightning, and I'm sure there's someone playing a Sharlayan out there somewhere.

 

However, has anyone every thought of or tried playing as an Ascian?

 

I mean, there's some lore to draw on... though I'd have to double-check through things and see how much we out and out know at this point and how much is theory. I definitely know that it's apparently REALLY hard to really get rid of one, so perhaps people have been avoiding it for that factor? Do they seem too overpowered/plot-important/what-have-you for people to want to try playing one?

 

Or perhaps because the Ascians are considered inherently evil that people are shying away from them? But then again, there's plenty of folks who like to play evil characters, and there's the rather benign white-robed one for those who want a nicer, gentle immortal spirit from elsewhere. And, if it's a matter of being "killed on sight" like being voidtouched, one could figure an Ascian could always... just not be standing around in their obvious "HEY I'M AN ASCIAN" outfit - it allowed one to hang with the Scions for quite a while, after all.

 

Speaking of the costume, that seems like it'd be pretty easy to replicate too - there's quite a few hooded-robes-with-masks around (the one that pops to mind first is the gaudy yellow number from... Cutter's Cry, I believe?). Just toss on some appropriate-looking gloves and boots and you'd be all set to go.

 

So, thoughts? Have you played an Ascian, thought about playing an Ascian, want to play an Ascian but don't because of some reason or another? The idea has been bugging me ever since it popped into my head.

 

(And I regret nothing about that thread title.)

[Warren Castille]

There is some lore but I don't think it's enough to base a character off of. (SURPRISE, I'M FROWNING ON A CONCEPT. EVERYONE DO A SHOT.)

 

Are there more than 12? Do they have "lives" in the sense we use the term? They have identities, sure, and return from the not-void with them intact, maybe? There's also the small matter of not everyone being able to see them, even less people being able to interact with them, and just general "ugh" bits and pieces that come with it. That, and they seem to be wholeheartedly focused on reviving their dead(?) god.

 

It's entirely possible this is a plausible concept, but the risk of it blowing over and being just ridiculous fanon is high. I think people stray away from it for that reason. Plus, the Garleans are right there when it comes to deceptive sleeper-agent villain angles.

[Dravus]

The biggest obstacle is that they're meant to be incredibly powerful, influential and exceptionally well connected. I don't think there's many role-players capable of pulling off such a controversial concept in a satisfying manner.

[Warren Castille]

The biggest obstacle is that they're meant to be incredibly powerful, influential and exceptionally well connected. I don't think there's many role-players capable of pulling off such a controversial concept in a satisfying manner.

 

It could be, but in my opinion

 

 

It would have to be a reveal on the level of the MSQ one. Suddenly, that person you've known and have been roleplaying with for ages turns out to be an entity of the darkness, and then they're gone, having completed some step in the master plan. All of your connections, all of your bonds and struggles and growth, all of it a lie that danced at the whims of a master manipulator.

 

[Zyrusticae]

Canon is also very particular about this: only two Ascians so far have been revealed to be from our world, and all the other Ascians have been unable to enter our world because of Hydaelyn's protection (until now, that is). In other words, you would have been one of a very few special snowflakes who came from the same world that Eorzea sits on who happens to also become an Ascian. Even after the barrier is removed, you would be playing a character that LITERALLY CAME FROM ANOTHER WORLD.

 

All of this just really makes it clear how little we know about the Ascians and just how much freakin' effort one would have to go through to actually pull this off in anything resembling a tasteful manner.

 

Also, I will admit that I don't really like the idea of trying to RP as something you can't even dress up as. At that point you may as well stick to forum RP, because you're already stretching the edge of my imagination as it is.

[Kamome]

I think role playing an Ascian v. role playing a foreigner (Ishgardian, Doman, Garlean, Sharlyan...an) isn't comparable at all from a storyline standpoint. 

 

We see multiple heroes from Sharlayan, Ishgardians and an ex-Garlean in the main storyline, and plenty of Ishgardians and Domans within the context of job quest lines. They seem firmly planted in the realm of plausibility as player characters because you are time after time put on equal footing with them as an ally. 

 

The Ascians, however, appear as basically a plot device. They're not grounded in the world as relatable, portrayable characters. To me, they're so rare and so powerful they basically would basically become props in RP. 

 

The only application of playing an Ascian that I can see would be as a cameo plot device character to initiate or impact a storyline. However, even this is lore-breaking from my perspective: there are so few Ascians in the world that writing in your own would be, in and of itself, disturbing the nature and power balance of the world SE has created.

 

TLDR; Ascian RP would basically be insta-God Mode.

[Gegenji]

So the reason for no Ascian RPers is the skeeviness of playing such a powerful being (who outwardly would look no different from anyone else, if they could be seen at all), combined with the potential stigma of such combined with all the lore hoops that one would have to jump through?

 

Definitely seems daunting, to be sure. I'm still curious if anyone has actually ever tried or wanted to try. I know there's plenty of people out there who want to play overpowered things.

[Perth]

Mnn, I've seen someone try to roleplay an Ascian before, but.... let's just say I ran away when I heard they had bodyguards hired to protect their virginity... That being said, I'm sure its very possible to pull it off tactfully and interestingly, its just so rare to come across! (I'm thinking it'd be far more appropriate for antagonistic story arcs than, say, slice-of-life roleplay)

 

Edit: After seeing the lore splurges from Sounsyy, I'm quickly shaking my head and agreeing that since there's only 13 established and two within our world, these probably should be totally avoided :B

[Gegenji]

I ran away when I heard they had bodyguards hired to protect their virginity...

 

... wat. :dazed:

 

W-well, I'm guess that's ONE... instance... of someone trying to play an Ascian. :?

[Balmungo]

This thread title wins!!!

 

Anyway, I'm not opposed to Ascian RP as long as it's done cleverly. I'm sure that most people don't realize who the Ascians are, so there's also that.

[Aduu Avagnar]

Mnn, I've seen someone try to roleplay an Ascian before, but.... let's just say I ran away when I heard they had bodyguards hired to protect their virginity... That being said, I'm sure its very possible to pull it off tactfully and interestingly, its just so rare to come across! (I'm thinking it'd be far more appropriate for antagonistic story arcs than, say, slice-of-life roleplay)

I also bumped into one around Ul'dah who was very open about being an Ascian, and had a sultansworn/free paladin there to bodyguard them, dunno if it was the same one?

 

oh, and they were a 'good' Ascian.

[Boo the Hamster]

"I'm a good destroyer of existence.  'Tis true I swear!"

 

In short, from what little lore there actually is on the Ascians, it's god-modding being one at all.  I mean, if you wanted to be a big bad, it'd be a lot more convincing playing a Dravanian, or Garlean, someone material than something that's akin to a demigod compared to everyone else.

[Sounsyy]

So lore dump. Spoilered, just in case.

 

 

 

Theory: There are only 13 Ascians total. Lahabrea, Emmerololth, Deudalaphon, Igeyorhm, Nabriales, Halmarut, Fandaniel, Pashtarot, Emet-Selch, Mitron, Loghriff, and Elidibus. This theory is aided by the cutscene of the twelve black-robed Ascians surrounding Elidibus in the Council of the Chrysalis.

Fact: Only 2 of these 13 Ascians were born of this world and can come to it freely. Elidibus and Lahabrea. The rest are locked within the realm between realms.

Fact: The Ascians are immortal beings of immense power and knowledge and have existed for millennias, possibly pre-dating the existence of the Twelve.

Fact: Ascians may enthrall or physically possess any being of aether and force them to do their will unbeknownst to them.

Theory: Two Ascians appeared in the 1.0 storyline possessing people. As 2.5 confirms only two Ascians may enter our world while the Blessing of the Light has strength, these two NPCs must have been Elidibus and Lahabrea.

Fact: The Ascians possess infinitely more knowledge of the world, the Echo, Hydaelyn, magic, aether, and pretty much everything than any of us pathetic mortals could ever dream of knowing. (They've had at least 10,000 years to learn.)

 

 

 

All these things said, I think it would be most unwise, if not completely lore-breaking to RP as an Ascian. They are immortal, nearly omnipotent beings which we know next to nothing about and are harbingers of chaos and destruction to feed their terrestrial god, Zodiark. They can be "defeated" yes, but not killed (barring one single exception).

 

Now, because I'm generally not a naysayer to the ways or things people wish to RP, I will say the closest thing to an Ascian that would be "lore-friendly" to roleplay, would be a character possessed by or used as a tool for an Ascian, as we have examples of this aplenty ranging from the SMN storyline, the 1.0 Limsa Lominsa storyline, and the 2.0 MSQ.

[Coatleque]

Having read Sounsyy's post there and noting the number of Ascians, could it be entirely feasible to assume the Ascians are to Zodiark what the Twelve are to Hydaelyn?

 

Pure conjecture of course. But 12 is typically associated with good things, while 13 with bad. And if you were to ascribe all of those same facts and theories to the Twelve but paint them in a positive light, it could work.

[Sounsyy]

Having read Sounsyy's post there and noting the number of Ascians, could it be entirely feasible to assume the Ascians are to Zodiark what the Twelve are to Hydaelyn?

 

That's what the general consensus among the loremongers seems to be. Hydaelyn, and Her Twelve of Light. Zodiark, and His Twelve of Darkness + Elidibus.

 

 

So most of the Ascian theory-crafting actually stems from FFXII, where there were once twelve Scions of Light (jeez that term sounds familiar) and twelve Scions of Darkness. About a thousand years before the start of XII's MSQ, there was a great war called The Great Catastrophe in which the twelve Scions of Darkness rebelled against the Occurians for greater power but were ultimately defeated by the Zodiac Braves (wow I'm sensing a trend here) and sealed away for eternity. Now, a thirteenth Scion was also locked away, named Zodiark, who was banished not because he rebelled, but because he was too powerful and the Occurians feared he might destroy them all if he rebelled.

 

Fast forward several hundred years and this Great Catastrophe has all but been forgotten except for the fact the Scions of Light became revered as gods and such. Anyways, a man named Elidibus stumbles upon an ancient tomb containing the sealed soul of Zodiark. After learning the truth about Zodiark's imprisonment, he seeks to free Zodiark.

 

XII's Scions of Light share names with XIV's Ascians and what's more, the symbols upon the Ascian masks are the symbols of their particular Scion of Darkness counterpart. (ie. Lahabrea's mask is the symbol of his Dark counterpart Mateus.)

 

This is why we believe there are only Thirteen Ascians, as all of the named Ascians thus far, follow XII's Scion of Light theme and XIV's Elidibus is on a quest to free Zodiark, just like in XII. However, when this was brought up to Fernehalwes in an interview, he shrugged and mentioned that many of XIV's story team also worked on XII and not to read too much into it as the universes are different and clearly the Ascians are not the "good guys" in this one.

 

So grain of salt, obviously, but as the trend continues to (thus far) hold true, the common theory is that yes, the Ascians are Zodiark's "Twelve."

[Melkire]

Want to meet Hydaelyn's Twelve now at some point in XIV's MSQ. Hyped.

[Zyrusticae]

But wait. The Twelve are essentially Man's equivalent of the beast tribes' Primals, right down to their need to feed on aether relentlessly just to maintain their forms. This isn't true (at least to my knowledge) for the Ascians... what makes them so different?

[Melkire]

But wait. The Twelve are essentially Man's equivalent of the beast tribes' Primals, right down to their need to feed on aether relentlessly just to maintain their forms. This isn't true (at least to my knowledge) for the Ascians... what makes them so different?

 

That's exactly what the Scions wonder about in the MSQ when they compare the Ascians to primals. The answer seems to be, "they have a safe zone in between us and the Void that they retreat to." As for the means (the "how"), it's not expounded upon pre-2.5 to my knowledge.

 

tl;dr: Ascians are somehow an exception via DARK MAGICS, whereas nearly everyone else plays by the same rules.

[Dante Abigor]

Personally I think the issue would be the lore we currently have for Ascians isn't enough to really make a concrete character with.

 

All of them being basically demigods with unfair connections aside, the lore on them is juuuust shaky enough that SE can pretty much just insert some BS that obliterates in its entirety our current understanding of what the Ascians are, how many of them can be in Eorzea at once, and if they can even exist properly in general.

 

For example, in 1.0 Ascians were this super fucking creepy specter looking thing that you see out of nowhere just skulking around after a quest. They never properly explain what they were, only that you would get wrecked if you messed with one.

 

In 2.0, they became ghost specter things that possess people or some such and they explained away what you saw in 1.0 with something like they can choose how you see them or you only see them certain ways due to lolreasons and in 2.0 they lolplotreasons it away without ever actually transitioning between the two. Or showing both EVER.

 

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if the Ascians ended up being people from the Dragon Quest VIII equivalent of the Shadow World or something that can grow eight hundred arms and blow up stars with their mind. I do seem to remember Lahabrea being in the same area as the MC when Ultima weapon nuked an entire fortress and he was fine, so at this point SE just does whatever they want with em imo.